It’s about your company. Your history. Your products. Maybe some stuff about you personally. That’s it.

Right?

Not quite.

That shouldn’t be the main focus.

The about page on your website is a “sales” page, encouraging readers to get in touch or join your newsletter. And like every sales page, your about page should focus on your readers, engaging and inspiring them.

Let’s look at the five essential keys — five “best practices” — for creating an about page that converts.

1. Explain why people should work with you

The question your about page should answer is this: Which problems do you solve for your customers?

Pamela’s about page, for instance, doesn’t start with an about me section. Instead, her headline is:

Let’s Grow Your Business With Great Design and Marketing

This headline addresses you as business owner by talking about your business. You instantly know how Pamela can help you.

And after the headline I specify the two ways I can help you build your business:

Looking to hire a copywriter?

Or want to improve your own writing skills so you can win more clients?

To attract people to your company, start with explaining how you can help them. Show them they’ve arrived in the right place.

2. Boost your credibility

To get people to hire you or buy from you, you need to establish your credibility as an expert. Answer these questions:

What work experience demonstrates your expertise?

How does your education contribute to success?

Which awards have you won?

Do you have client testimonials or quotes you can include?

Have you appeared in any well-known publications?

Pamela, for instance, mentions she’s been helping small businesses and large organizations create “big brands” since 1987. By using a specific year she changes a wishy-washy statement into a credibility-boosting fact. Specific names, brands, years, or other facts boost your credibility.

Your about page isn’t a complete resume of everything you’ve done. Carefully pick the facts that substantiate why you’re the right person to help your readers.

3. Show your passion

What drives you? What do you believe in?

Sharing your passion inspires and energizes readers. Your best clients are the people who resonate most with your way of doing business, with your beliefs.

A “mission statement” provides a great way to show what drives you. And I don’t mean a corporate statement full of gobbledygook and written by committee. I mean a statement that gives us a glimpse of your passion.

This is how Pamela describes her passion:

She believes that your business may be small, but your brand can be BIG.

And this is how I formulate it on my site:

Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent copywriter and marketer. She’s on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook, and to add sparkle to boring business blogs.

What do you believe in? What do you want to achieve with your work? If you struggle to define this, think about what you don’t believe in. I list on my site:

I don’t like to do as I’m told–expect honest feedback to your suggestions.

I don’t polish existing text–you get most out of working with me when you involve me from the start of your project.

I hate gobbledygook, and refuse to write phrases like market-leading, best-in-class, and state-of-the-art–hire me to write simple content that converts.

Sharing your beliefs filters out the people who aren’t right for your business. Your mission appeals to the clients you love working with most.

4. Add a dash of personality

Why do people choose to work with you?

Of course you need to have the right expertise, knowledge, and skills. But your main attraction as a small business owner or freelancer is your personality. People choose you because your content resonates with them. They choose you because of who you are and how you work.

Want to strike fear into the heart of a brand-new online business owner? Ask them how to create a homepage that works for their online business. It’s a true “deer-in-the-headlights” moment. Most people don’t have a clue what to include

The best way I can think of to talk about how to prioritize your to-do list is to give you a little peek-behind-the-scenes at my life. It’s 5:30 pm on a weekday and I’m still tapping away at my keyboard

What’s the key to building the kind of business where you absolutely love what you do, love your customers, and love your results? Let’s start with a simple question. What are you aiming for with this business of yours? It

There’s nothing like a testimonial from a real-life customer to convince your skeptical prospects to do business with you for the first time. Testimonials show prospects how real people have used your product or service to get real results. Testimonials

9 thoughts on “The 5 Essential Keys to a Tantalizing ‘About’ Page”

I’m about to re-do my about page for my new site (again!) and this is perfect advice.

One thing that I really LOVE about Internet Marketing is that it works best when “you act like you”. Many of us are so afraid of becoming SPAM monsters or the Smarmy-Salesman that we sabotage ourselves out of this fear.

But once you realize that you are unique and you have a unique gift and voice for the world, you can find and be your true self and start making a difference.

Yes, I so agree with you. We’re often afraid to show ourselves and try to hide behind a shiny mask. But the best way to stand out is by being ourselves. And that’s how we also attract our favorite clients.

Henneke, THIS–> “In a world of pixels, viral cats, and meaningless likes, we’re all looking for the human touch. For real voices. For personal connections.” is pretty much what ALL online content and community building is about. You’ve summed it up beautifully!!

Thank YOU for showing us how to infuse it into our About Pages too!! Love this post and your actionable tips!!